A 'Pattharkar', I do not like to write – I like to have written…!!

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International acclaimed environmentalist Dr. Claude Alvares, recently visited a alleged ‘illegal’ mine operated by SESA GOA and was irritated by the 100 meter hill erected by the miningdump (which also is illegal says, Alvares.) by burying a rich biodiversity forest.

Claude writes on his facebook page:

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Went to the Sonshi mine of Cosme Costa. This is Pissurlem village, north east Goa. The mine is illegally operated by Sesa Goa (anything new?). Went with Pollution Board officials. Sesa Goa has created a mammoth mining dump that is nearly 100 metres high and 2 kms long! All illegal, no permissions. PCB clearance is for 30 mts height, so this is a clear violation.

There is a High Court order of 2003 forbidding any more dumps in the area, next to the Advoi river. HC order flushed down the toilet. I asked the manager about the illegal height of the dump. He says Sesa is not the only one, others are also doing this.

I am accosted by truck owners brought to the site by Sesa (they do this all the time whenever I visit a mine. This f!@#$%g ISI 1400 or ISO 420 company cannot face me or any protester without putting in a dozen truck drivers between its managers and us). However I tell the truckowners I am one of their supporters, since they have done no illegal mining.

If Shah Commission finds these mines doing illegal mining, the trucks should demand their installments from the mining companies. I am willing to file a petition on this. They all admit Pissurlem and Vaghuriem are going the lunar way in a year or two. The illegal dump has been erected by burying a nice forest. I take enough pictures. Now what do I do? Parrikar is in charge. I wrote to him a month ago about this dump. No change. The mine continues dumping. (They stop one hour before we arrive on the scene.) Rage against the machine.